


I Should've Taken the Train

by LizzaTheAlien



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Bad first impression, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Nagisa is a rich kid, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-03-19 23:30:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3628299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzaTheAlien/pseuds/LizzaTheAlien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Nagisa smacks his way into Rei's life, Rei wishes he had taken the train to avoid the leeching nuisance. But despite Rei's wishes, could this messy encounter actually lead to friendship? Or maybe, something a bit more? </p><p>AU where Nagisa and Rei go to the same University. Nagisa is the son of famous rich scientists, and Rei begrudgingly agrees to help tutor him so that he can make connections with the "famous Hazuki family." Rei's world is turned upside down by Nagisa's disorderly ways, and their relationship changes everything for the both of them.</p><p>Reigisa, University AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is short piece I wrote on a whim. If anyone likes it, let me know, and I'll write more. Otherwise, I'll leave it be.
> 
> UPDATE: People liked it, so I wrote more, and I will continue to write more until the story has reached a suitable completion.

 

I’ll never forget the day I met him.

The pages in my textbook rustled in the breeze as I walked along the roadside. Gloomy morning. Not a peek of the sun through the gray mist that hung over the city. Chilly, but not too cold. On occasion, I’d consider it relaxing, even beautiful in it’s own way. I just hoped it didn’t rain. That would counteract my productivity.

“…when you consider that calculation, ah no that doesn’t seem quite right,” I muttered to myself, placing my notepad on the textbook and jotting something down. The exams were coming up, and I wanted to use any moment of free time to study.

However, on that fateful morning, it was not the rain that would come to counteract my productivity.

I rounded a corner, and my ears were attacked with the most raucous laughter I’d ever heard. My face twinged with annoyance. Did people have no respect for others around them? I looked for the perpetrator. A few yards ahead of me, a short blonde boy was speaking enthusiastically to a friend who seemed only to be kindly tolerating him. I thanked my situation for only being a bystander, however, I still had to walk past them. I quickened my pace, focusing down on my book and straightening my glasses.

The boy only got louder as I approached, gesturing wildly with his hands as he blabbered. I cursed myself for not wearing earbuds. I suppose it might be rude to get them out now. Not that he was making any effort not to be rude. What a nuisance. A car rushed past on the street and I tried to slip past him unnoticed.

It was not so.

I got smacked in the face.

I moaned, rubbing my forehead and straightening my glasses. The boy, being disrespectfully oblivious, had smacked me in the face with one of his wild, story telling gestures.

“I should’ve taken the train…” I mumbled, scooping up my dropped books. He was still blabbering. Apologizing maybe. I wasn’t listening. I snapped my face towards him, and the death glare in my eyes shut him up.

“Uh…” wheezed out of his mouth as I continued on my way. I sighed, hoping I’d never meet him again.

I froze in place when he started to laugh again. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder. He couldn’t be serious? How insolent! Unthinkable! I should go over there and-

“Wait up!” he giggled, skipping towards me.

Oh god.

What had I gotten myself smacked into?


	2. Pleased to Meet You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei is forcibly introduced to the energetic and annoying Nagisa, and hopes to never see him again. However, it seems that his encounter with Nagisa is not quite over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More, as requested! It took longer than I expected, but here is chapter two. Still really short though. Again, if you want me to write more let me know. I have a ton of other original projects going on, so I may not write this unless someone actually wants me to. The good news is, I think I actually know where the story is going, haha.

“Hehe! Sorry again for hitting you in the face! I totally didn’t see you there!” The boy giggled.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Please, please, please, leave me alone.

“If you say so!” The boy caved in, shrugging his shoulders. I took a deep breath, my displeasure subsiding. 

But he wasn’t leaving.

“Um, shouldn’t you being going back to your friend there?” I wondered, nervously peeking over my shoulder at the tall, befuddled stranger who was slowly disappearing into the background.

“Oh, Mako-chan doesn’t mind,” The boy spun around on his feet, waving wildly with his full arm, “Catch ya later Mako-chan!”

Mako… chan? I looked back at the obviously masculine man who was waving back - more politely than the giggly blonde - before walking off. He seemed like he would be more pleasant to hang around.

“So, what’s your name?” The boy asked.

I hesitated to answer. “Ryuugazaki.”

“Oh, pleasure to meet you Ryuugazaki-san,” The boy mocked my formality.

My brow twitched with annoyance. “And what do I call you?”

“Nagisa.” He skipped in front of me, leaning over and holding his hand out. I sighed, diverting my eyes before reluctantly shaking his hand.

“So where are you going?” He asked, annoyingly walking backwards in front of me.

“School.” I replied bluntly.

“Ooooo~ you don’t look like a high schooler.”

“That’s because I’m not. I’m going to university.”

“Really?” He sounded way too excited. “What university? Wha- !”

Just as he asked, his backwards walking worked against him as his foot caught on a crack and he lost his balance. Acting on instinct, I leapt forward, snatching his arm and quickly wrapping mine around his lower back. Our movement soon halted, leaving us both safely standing, and leaving him with a shocked expression.

But also leaving him way closer to me than I ever wanted. 

I heard a few passing girls giggle and I hastily pushed him to the side, clenching my fists and straightening my glasses.

“Listen up, Nagisa,” I snapped my head to face him. “There is a certain beauty in the etiquette of human manners and interactions, and you’re kicking dirt all over it!” My voice raised. “While I appreciate your apology I don’t appreciate your peppering questions and childish pestering. I have no intention of forming a friendship from a messy encounter such as this because there is nothing beautiful about it!”

He stood stiff, pushed into silence by my words. 

I pushed my glasses up. “Good day.”

I strode away, hoping my day would relax into the comfortable order it had before.

“Thanks for saving me!” He shouted from behind me. I looked over my shoulder for a second to see him waving with his whole arm.

“Don’t mention it.” I mumbled to myself, continuing to walk away.

Really though, I hope he doesn’t ever mention it. To anyone. Ever.

 

~~~~~~~

 

I looked up at the sky from under the canopy outside the science research building. Rain. And of course I’d neglected to bring an umbrella, which was illogical, considering the gloomy weather this morning. I sighed, looking down at the objects I was carrying with me. I could use my bag to cover my head, but I had important notes in there. I shrugged off my blazer, holding it over my head and tucking my bag close to my chest. This will have to do.

Water splashed up from road, dotting the bottom of my pants with splashes as I ran. I exhaled in relief as I entered the cover of the train station, quickly hopping onto the train just before it left. Water dripped off my jacket, and I held it down to my side, hoping it would dry off before I got to my stop. That wasn’t so bad. I let out a sigh, letting my weight hang from the handle as the train's movement swayed me back and forth.

And then I looked up.

And his eyes met mine.

And just as his face morphed into one of pure excitement, mine morphed into one of pure dread.

Dammit. I shouldn’t have taken the train.


	3. Opportunity

“Roogazuki!” Nagisa exclaimed, his pitch piercing the quiet hush of the train.

“It’s Ryuugazaki,” I quietly corrected him, my brow twitching in annoyance.

“Whaa, you’re all wet.” He giggled, shuffling up next to me.

“Yes, well, it’s raining.” I straightened my glasses and faced the opposite direction, hoping he would take the hint and stop bothering me.

No such luck. 

He peeked his head around and narrowed his eyes at me. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“Finally,” I grinned, sighing, “something constructed of logic escaped your lips.”

A disgruntled expression took his face and he straightened up, rubbing his chin with his fingers. I narrowed my eyes at him. Was there even space in his disorderly mess of a head for concentrated thinking?

I shook my head. I was just frustrated. Today I’ve been smacked, annoyed and rained on. Maybe I’m being a little too harsh, even it is only in my thoughts.

Nagisa smiled. Uh oh, here we go.

“Let me make it up to you,” He stretched out his hand, “have you had lunch?”

I raised an eyebrow. He actually seemed sort of calm and collected, in his own energetic and cheery way. His happiness stretched across his entire face, with his messy blonde hair falling casually across his face and those strangely colored rose eyes. I hadn’t really noticed his eyes before, they were so unusual, and in their own way, kind of… beautiful. Weird. With the way things were going, I would’ve just rejected the offer and politely told him to refrain from bothering me in the future. However, something about his sudden change of behavior, I had this odd feeling that made me want to accept. He may be more intriguing than I gave him credit.

What am I even thinking.

“I…” I shook to my senses, “I’m afraid I can’t. I’m on my way to my next class.”

“Hmm.” He put his outstretched arm defiantly on his hip. “Alright, but I’m not giving up on you.”

I narrowed my eyes, the annoyance returning. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve decided to befriend you, Ryuugazaki-san.” He chimed.

“Why?” I grumbled.

“Huh?” He appeared surprised by my question. “Oh, hmm, I wonder.”

Tsk, he hasn’t even thought that through.

The train screeched to a halt and before I knew it Nagisa had fallen into my chest. Instinctively my hand latched to his shoulder. The train was stopped, dead quiet, and I was a public spectacle of implied homosexuality. Again. Today.

“Haha, oops. I’ll try not to make a habit out of doing that.” Nagisa giggled as I forcefully pushed him away.

“Please do.” I replied, exiting the train.

“Hey wait!” He hopped out after me just before the doors closed.

“Is this even your stop?” I complained, striding towards my destination. It was only drizzling now, so I didn’t have to worry about getting more wet.

“Nope.” He chuckled, skipping beside me. “So you go to Iwatobi University, huh?”

"Wah!" I exclaimed in shock. “How did you know that? Are you stalking me?”

“No silly, this whole row of buildings is Iwatobi campus. I’m not stupid.” 

I looked at the row of buildings in front of me, only just realizing he was correct. Now I felt unintelligent.

“This is true.” I sighed.

“But hey! Guess what! I go to Iwatobi too! Look, I have an Iwatobi-chan keychain.” He skipped in front of me, showing me a tiny bird trinket clipped to his wallet.

“How nice.” I commented, quickly losing interest in the boy and the chaos he brought. I turned to enter my building.

“Wait!” Nagisa yelled.

I stopped short, pivoting around for what I swore would be the last time.

“You,” he looked utterly shocked. “Are you going into the honors building??”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“You’re in the honors program!?”

“Yes.”

“But that means you’re super super smart!”

“I supposed so.” I shifted my bag on my shoulder.

Nagisa looked down from the building, a dangerous smirk dancing on his face. “Ryuugazaki. I have a proposal for you.”

I shifted my feet towards the building. I should just leave, but… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to hear him out. “What?”

“Well, you see, I’m failing all my classes.”

Why am I not surprised.

“Is this going somewhere?” I pushed.

“Yeah, well, I’m 100% reliant on my parents support and they said they’ll only continue to give me money if I keep my grades up so… I need to get a tutor.”

Uh oh.

“Look, I’m very busy with my classes and the track team-“

“I’ll pay you! And helping out a classmate will look good on your resume!”

“I don’t know, I just don’t think-“

“You’re a science major right? All the textbooks you dropped this morning were advanced science.” Nagisa got a truly desperate look on his face.

“Uh, yes, yes I am.” I found myself surprised at how observant he had been.

“Well then, I’ll…” He looked to the side, disappointed. “Nagisa Hazuki.”

“What?”

“My name is Nagisa Hazuki.”

Oh.

WHAT?!?!???

He was a member of the Hazuki family? THE Hazuki family? They were the leading name in science! They funded major projects and had several laboratories dedicated to them! They were practically science royalty! And this bumbling idiot before me was the “prince” of the Hazuki family? Oh, I see why he was telling me his name. He was offering me connections. Not even I could refuse that.

I straightened my glass, reaching in the outer pocket of my bag.

“Let me know when you wish to start.” I handed him my card.

“Wow! You have a business card!” He chimed, holding it close to his face.

“Good day to you until then,” I nodded my head, and turned back towards the honors building.

“Bye, Ryuugazaki-sensei!”

In the reflection of the glass double doors, I could see him waving with his whole arm, his face squinted in a smile.

Hmm.

This may not be as undesirable as it appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to take this story in an unexpected direction, and I plan to really focus on it. Expect more, and soon! Thank you so much for reading ^_^


	4. Run Away

They say that if someone breaks into your house, you are not supposed to invite them to stay. It may be a stretch, but I would like to apply the same logic here. If someone smacks you in the face and then indirectly humiliates you in public on several occasions usually you would not give them your name, email and phone number. Doing such would defy reason. Especially since such an offender also lacks any hint of elegance, dignity and I hate to admit it, calculability.

That put me at an impasse, because what I wanted and what I needed waned away from each other. What I want is to continue with my daily, orderly routine and avoid associating with nuisances that throw a wrench in it. What I need is a suitable part time job, and if I have any pride or respect for my career, a connection with the most important family in science. I have attempted to calculate the possible situational outcomes that will come from devoting time to the job of tutoring Nagisa Hazuki, but what I found was this:

I haven’t the slightest idea what to expect from him, but regardless of my feelings, this is an opportunity I shouldn’t brush aside.

It was this thought passing through my head when I saw him waving from a table nestled into an alcove of the cafe, his entire face practically brimming with sunshine. I tightened my grip on my bag, wondering if there was still time to back out. He cocked his head at me, probably curious as to why I wasn’t approaching him.

Ah, what’s the worst that could happen.

“Good afternoon, Rei-chan.”

I nearly chocked. “Rei-chan?!”

“That’s your name right?” He giggled, flipping my business card between his fingers. I narrowed my eyes in befuddlement. I couldn’t tell if he was mocking me or just somehow full of childish innocence.

“But.. -chan?” I finished sitting the chair opposite him.

“Haha! Yay!” He clapped his hands together as a waitress set an obtusely large slice of strawberry shortcake on the table in front of him.

Childhood innocence it is.

“Would you like anything, sir?” The waitress smiled at me.

“Just tea, thank you.” I requested, pulling out some books as she nodded and walked away. “Alright, Hazuki-san, did you bring your grade report as I requested?”

“Boo, call me Nagisa,” he complained through a mouthful of cake.

“Fine,” I let out a large sigh. “Nagisa.”

He beamed, setting down his fork and fishing a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. If the unevenly folded and slightly ripped paper wasn’t bad enough, what’s on it made me cringe.

———————  
Calculus — F  
Chemistry — F  
World History — D  
Music Performance — F  
———————

I gulped at the last one. “Music Performance?”

“Yep. I took the class because I thought it’d be fun but it turns out they all take it super seriously,” he continued to speak with his mouth full.

“I apologize.” I set his report on the table. He gave me a worried look. “I will not be able to tutor you for Music Performance. I have no knowledge in this area.”

“Haha!” He chuckled. “I guessed that, don’t worry about that class then.”

“Well then, where would like to start, Hazuki-sa-“

“Mmm.” He growled at me, pouting.

“I mean, Nagisa.” I corrected myself.

“Hmm, let’s see,” Nagisa rested his cheek into his fist, propping his elbow up on the table, his head tilted as his wide eyes gazed up into space in thought.

“Thank you,” I nodded at the waitress as she set down my tea. I picked up the cup, blowing a few times on the surface before taking sip.

“How about Calculus! The test is next week.”

I lurched forward, swallowing hard to avoid spitting out my tea and quickly descending into a coughing fit. Nagisa failed to keep from bursting out laughing.

“Next week?” I croaked once my coughing died down. “How high are your parents expecting you to score?”

“Hmm, well I need a C in the class for starters,” Nagisa tilted his head in thought again.

“C?” I snatched his grade report off the table, straightening my glasses.

My eyes focused in on the detailed report. Given the grades awarded before.. added up… factor in the weighted difference of the assignments… oh no… recalculate… oh no.

I gulped, lowering the paper and raising my head. Nagisa stared at me, his mouth casually hung open in awe at my murmuring calculations and his eyes all sparkly with expectation.

“You need to score 106% on the test.” I reported.

Nagisa’s face contorted. “Eeeeehh? Is that even possible?”

“Possibly.” My mind whirred with calculations again and my words spilled out with speed. “If it is the type of test with a set number of questions then the highest you can possibly score with the given circumstances is 100%, which averaged into your grades puts you just at D+, barely under a C. If this is the case, you will have to appeal to the teacher for extra credit or extension credit which given your lack of responsibility and dignity thus far will likely be impossible.”

“Bleh, Rei-chan, you’re so mean.” Nagisa stuck out his tongue.

“However if it is the type of test where you are given a set amount of time and unlimited questions then the grade will not be given in percent and if you could possible answer a highly above average amount then it is possible… but we would have to know the amount of time and if the questions are evenly weighted or—“

“Rei.”

“—if they are weighted differently based on their difficulty and unless you have that knowledge on you—“

“Reeeeeiiiiiiiii.”

“—but given what you’ve shown me so far I find doubtful that you would so for the time being—“

“REI!”

I made a noise somewhere between a gasp and yelp and quickly covered my mouth. My eyes gazed across the room to find everyone in the cafe staring at the two of us as if we were crazy. 

May I ask, please, is there anyone out there who can explain to me what is it about associating with this boy that makes me into a public spectacle of humiliation every single time?

Stiffly I reached for my tea, watching the cup shake in my hands as I raised it to my mouth to take a sip.

“It’s a timed test. Unlimited questions. I don’t know how they are weighted.” Nagisa told me calmly, a playful grin still dancing on his face as he spoke with relaxing seriousness. “I know you think I am a wild, irresponsible child stuck in an adults body and you wouldn’t be the only one to share that opinion.” His eyes suddenly looked sad. “When I was in middle school, I got perfect grades. Studying was the only thing I ever did. And… it took the life out of me. Everyday I would try to feel happy or sad but all I felt was… nothing. So I changed things in high school, I was alive again and everyone could see that. But one time when my grades got bad, my parents wanted to force me to quit a club that I loved so instead I could spend the time studying. Instead of just improving my grades and proving I could have both the club and the grades, I just ran away. I stayed with my friends at first, but they didn’t know how to help me so I ran off into the forest. I stayed there for a week in a tent, and a storm came, trees fell over and well… it was… bad.”

I was shocked into silence. Nagisa had his arms crossed in front of him, staring intently at the table. He sighed, and a bittersweet smile graced his face.

“I’m not going to run away again. That didn’t do anyone any good. I’m going to fix my grades this time, and I’m not going to quit my clubs or lose my parents support. So don’t worry Rei-chan, even if I fail this test, I’m not giving up.” The cheery, ridiculous smile jumped back in place as he rapidly changed his attitude. “I’m taking the train straight to victory! Choo choo!”

He mimicked a train, collapsing into giggles.

I lowered my head, staring straight down into my lap. Quickly and gracefully I pulled a handkerchief out of my pocket and dabbed at the embarrassing appearance of tears in my eyes.

“Rei-chan?” Nagisa came on the verge of noticing.

“I will support you.” I swiftly reach a hand out to his shoulder and his eyes filled with surprise and awe. I smiled triumphantly. “Now, let’s learn calculus!”

“Yaaay!” Nagisa clapped his hands, grinning like a little kid on christmas.

Nagisa is… well… I know now, Nagisa is more than he seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll notice I changed the story of what happened to Nagisa when he got bad test scores in high school. I changed this because this is an AU where Nagisa's parents are important science people, and Rei wasn't around him in high school. This is what I devised would happen under those circumstances. Please do not think I am blatantly ignoring or disrespecting the canon. ^_^ I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This story is far from over, so expect more, I will attempt to update frequently. Thank you for reading!


	5. Elf Homes and Sugar Packets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I was away traveling. More to come soon! Thanks for reading ^_^

“Uuhhh…” I grumbled, letting my head tip back over my chair.

This week has been hell.

When Nagisa showed me an earnest and serious side of himself at the cafe on our first session, I figured things were taking a turn for the better. However, as it turns out, the serious and genuine side of Nagisa’s persona only appears in flashing mirages before quickly dissipating into a thousand layers of frolicking. I perceived that, after a speech stating he would refuse to give up, he would take studying seriously. Much to my chagrin, I have not seen a hint of seriousness since.

I guess it is not fair to say that Nagisa’s wacky and cheerful behavior is not as genuine as the moments he is serious. Sure, he is audacious and uncontrollable, but he always states exactly what he thinks and feels, whether or not his methods are silly. He is straightforward and honest, so I suppose that side of him is genuine in it’s own way.

Ah, I can never come to a conclusion regarding him. As such, I made the decision to keep a scientific notebook on his radical behavior. This seemed to be the only logical course of action. What else do you do with what clearly appears to be a scientific mystery.

I’ve had tutoring session with him every available day since the first meeting to prepare for his upcoming test where he will have to correctly answer 123 questions within a 60 minute time frame, the calculations of which still make me very, very nervous. I’ve recorded his actions, but there appears to be no apparent pattern. One moment he’s scratching away at the math sheets I’ve prepared for him, the next he is building an elf home out of spare silverware. The distractions come at any given moment, and I still have not devised any suitable way to be prepared for them.

This is the only thing I know with absolute certainty: I am drained.

I had just finished getting Nagisa to end his exploration on the mystery of sugar packets left on restaurant tables, and instead continue with the test prep, and I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I looked up at him. His brow was furrowed and his lips pursed into a tight smile as his eyes flashed across the page. I sighed, silently pulling out my notebook and recording this version of his face when focused on work.

“Oh? Nagisa?”

Nagisa’s eyes snapped away from the page to the voice who called him and I became drenched with worry. No, no please no, no more distractions.

“Haru-chan! Mako-chan!” Nagisa called, beaming and waving his friends over.

One of them looked very apathetic and serious while the other approached with a friendly smile, waving politely at our table. He looked familiar…

“Oh!” The friendly one noticed me. “So it’s true Nagisa, you really did manage to befriend the poor guy you hit in the face.”

Oh, that’s right. The friendly one was there talking to Nagisa on the day we met.

“Not sure if befriend is the right word.” I mumbled under my breath as Nagisa burst into a stream of laughter.

The serious one looked me over and got a very concerned and disgruntled look. “Nagisa. If you’re going to kill, do not torture your victims first.”

“Eh?” I jolted upwards with shock and terror.

“Boo, that hurts Haru-chan.” Nagisa pouted.

“This man is in pain.” Haru stated bluntly, casually pointing at me.

“Ah, that’s enough, Haru.” Mako raised a hand, a bemused smile dancing on his face. His attention swayed to me. “I hope our friend hasn’t caused you too much trouble.”

I straightened my glasses. “I was aware of what I was signing up for.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nagisa complained.

Mako laughed. “I’m Makoto, and this is Haru. It’s a pleasure to meet you…?”

“Rei Ryuugazaki.” I filled in for him, shaking his hand. “How do you know each other?”

“We’ve been friends for what feels like forever. We used to be in a swim club.” Makoto answered.

“Is that so?” I found myself surprised. Nagisa swimming competitively, I wonder what that would look like? I supposed I’m not surprised that of all the sports Nagisa would partake in, he chooses one that is undignified and ungraceful. 

The word “club” clicked in my mind. Was this swim club the one Nagisa had been forced to quit? My eyes bored into the two guys chatting with Nagisa in front of me. I burned to ask them for more details. Perhaps knowledge of his past could help me to decode him further. My eyes landed on my notebook.

“…that reminds me, don’t you have a competition coming up Haru?” Nagisa asked.

“Yes. A week from now. Sunday.” Haru answered.

“Haru’s been training like crazy. He’s barely out of the pool, though that’s not exactly new.” Makoto chuckled.

“I want to come watch!” Nagisa bubbled.

“Come with me, I’m taking my siblings.” He smiled.

“Rei-chan you come too!” Nagisa grabbed my hand. I tensed, suddenly shaken into reality. I’d felt a little out of place being in their conversation.

“Oh, um, I don’t know, I don’t really care for swimming or water.” I declined.

“Don’t allow him to come.” Haru nearly growled.

“Haru…” Makoto sighed.

My face flushed red at the idea that I had offended him.

“No, come on. I’ll open his eyes, Haru-chan!” Nagisa pleaded.

“Yes, alright.” I quickly agreed, not wanting to be on bad terms with this serious individual.

“Mmm,” Haru mumbled, turning to walk away.

“Haru-chan!” Nagisa bounded out of his chair, skipping after Haru into a different room. Makoto chuckled as he watched them go, turning his polite smile to me. He took a seat in Nagisa’s chair.

“You don’t have to worry about Haru. Knowing him, the only reason he left is to look at the fish tank in the front room.” Makoto assured me.

“Ah.” I furrowed my brow.

“You must be thinking we’re quite an odd lot of people.”

My face flushed again. I had, in fact, been thinking that.

He laughed. “We’ve always been like this.”

“Even Nagisa?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he titled his head with suspicion.

I realized this is probably because he did not expect me to know about what had happened to Nagisa in high school. But I didn’t know much. I fidgeted, figuring out who to ask for more.

“You don’t happen to know…” I changed my mind. “Any ways to get him to focus?”

Makoto laughed and I deliberated whether or not that was a good sign.

“I wish I did.” He grinned. “But I can tell you one thing.”

“Please.” I blurted.

Makoto leaned in, crossing his fingers. “It’s better if you don’t… resist him.”

Nagisa bounded back into the room. “Mako-chan, are you getting tutoring now too?”

“No,” he chuckled, standing up. “I’m sure Rei is a very good teacher, but I think I’m fine.”

“He is!” Nagisa cheered, beaming at me.

A feeling bubbled up inside me hearing Nagisa say that. What was it, pride? Satisfaction? Flattered? Joy? I almost felt like I was going to blush. Strange.

“Well, we’ll leave you two to it. Enjoy yourselves.” Makoto began to back away towards Haru.

That last line felt directed at me.

“We’ll see you at the competition!” Nagisa waved.

Makoto waved back, and he and Haru disappeared from the room.

Yes… ok… what?!

Don’t resist him?

What on earth did that mean?

Was I supposed to drop everything and build elf homes with him instead of making sure he studies? It’s my job to make sure he studies! Don’t resist him? How was I supposed to take that?

“Reeeeeei-chan?” Nagisa waved a hand in my face.

“Yes?” I shook myself back into the moment.

“Could you explain this part to me again? I don’t get it.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

“Oh… oh! Yes, you see…”

Well. This is definitely a new angle to consider. I will deliberate more in my research notebook.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, please let me know if you want more. I will write more if it's wanted. ^_^


End file.
